Win or Win generation of sports heroes

"In 17 years of competition during which time he played in over 1000 events, Abhinav Bindra, India’s most decorated shooter, has 180 medals. That’s about one win for every five losses.

The realization that you will lose more than you will win is as important as the determination needed to do well in big competitions. That’s what the Indian contingent managed to do in Indonesia."

• It is about not failures, but getting up every time

• It is also not necessary one has to fail a few times for every win - a belief.

• It is still about the process, the effort, the hard work, the support we give, the #coaching, the infrastructure, the journey.  Not really the destination. 

Hope our athletes stay with that focus and move from a win-win to win-win-win? Where all stakeholders, direct and indirect win.  

The original article on @EconomicTimes by @BoriaMajumbdar: The young stars of India’s Asian Games campaign represent a generation that knows the possibilities sports can offer

Dean Baquet (NYT) & Marty Baron (Washington Post) from The Axe Files with David Axelrod

Dean Baquet and Marty Baron, the Executive Editors of the New York Times and the Washington Post respectively, join David for the Axe Files on CNN to discuss the challenges of covering the Trump presidency, the unprecedented attacks on the free press, the power of journalism to change history, and the trajectory of their storied careers from reporters to editors.

- The fourth estate is one of the pillars of a vibrant democracy. It is also facing 'disruption', from both within and from outside. 

- One good development is reduced dependency on advertisers, and on subscribers. One headache less. But that shift has not happened in a market like India, worlds largest and also a vibrant democracy. 

- Free press is perhaps under threat across the globe, including in some of the best and biggest democracies?

- Fake news to deliberately telling lies are some of the recent developments, among the political leaders. The common man is definitely confused. 

Some of the political leaders we complaint about, they are merely metaphors. 

A question to ask is what is my role in this? Do I remain a mute spectator or do something about it, however small. For example, be a responsible citizen? We owe it to future generations. We got to strengthen some of our important institutions, judiciary, media, education, art, etc. 

We can't expect someone else to do our work. It is our future, the future of our country, our kids' future. 

We got to also ensure true, selfless, visionary, transformational leaders are in charge, in all areas of human endeavour. 

When will we see such conversations among our own senior media people?

Dean Baquet & Marty Baron from The Axe Files with David Axelrod in #Podcasts. https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=1043593599#episodeGuid=gid%3A%2F%2Fart19-episode-locator%2FV0%2F0_zraz7WU0f1I5IUU-bzuWGAJrdXYh28s7zgKpSbgFM

Is aluminium cookware safe? Fear for health

Husband and wife are at the Prestige showroom to avail Independence day offers...

• Replacing old cookware with new... can be a feeling of independence?!
• After Abhishek & Aishwarya Bachchan, now Vidya Balan is the model in a heavily promoted Prestige campaign.  
• The old campaign, "Jo biwi se kare pyaar....  that is for screen only" (have heard this many times). 
• Is the love for the spouse conditional or what is alluded to spiritually, 'unconditional'?! Can two adults, with all ego, even if 'saat janam ka rishta', 'karmic consequences', blah, blah... have what Carl Rogers call, 'Unconditional Positive Regard' for each other?!

Why do we prefer to stick to our own preferences, not in an acceptance or still better, in an allowance mode? 

• #DYK one of the most common subjects on forwarded jokes is, spouse! 

Coming back to the cookware replacement at Prestige showroom... the husband picked aluminum stuff, while wife felt steel was better. They asked the salesman, who brilliantly stepped in as a referee and confirmed, "the health-conscious prefer steel". But it comes with 'the extra hassle of cooking, constant monitoring'. The husband got the KBC-like "lifeline"! He felt she was not cut out for mindfulness in cooking when she looks at all chores in the kitchen as bonded labour. 

What the husband missed was the fear of illness in wife's argument. But then can you ever have meaningful conversations from a space of 'argument'? 

Is mindfulness possible in our daily chores? Is it relevant, important? Does it help? 

Quickly googled to check on aluminum cookware: 

https://www.onlymyhealth.com/health-hazards-of-aluminium-cookware-1434793901

Paypal - No Pal to digitization, customer in the name of KYC

#Chandra has been trying to get complete his KYC with Paypal, to enable him to receive funds within India. He already has an international account and has received funds. 

- When you have an account and has been received money from overseas, why does it take so many painful steps to activate Indian version? All blame it on RBI to others....

Paypal has been asking for multiple documents. 

Now they are stuck like an old music player, where the song keeps playing the same line, when the record gets stuck? 

They keep asking him to submit the bank statement, which he has done three times now (a hat trick!!), but they continue to ask for same, again and again.

He tried calling them. They have a painful IVR process too:
- Dial them on their toll-free no (there is no 'free' lunch!)
- First, it (IVR) informs the caller the call may be recorded
- Then every time it say 'high call volume...' and be prepared for 'extended waiting time' (with such customer service, you will naturally receive more calls :))
- They repeat the number you are calling from to confirm if PayPal account is linked to that no.
- Once you press 1 and confirm, it will ask for last 4 digits of the bank account/credit card no. (why again? additional security is the excuse)
- Naturally, you don't always remember last four digits of bank account or credit. They oblige to wait for one minute (only) and you can actually hear the clock tick... also reminders in between to 'tap any key to confirm the last four digits'.
- You retrieve the data and key in the number, under additional stress now?!
- The call is forwarded... and then there is a loooooooooong silence.  
End of the story

Digitization ki aisi ki thaisi... 

PS: He has been following up with the payment app with his bank, the best bank in India & one of best globally. It took five months to activate the bank's own digital platform. 

Between Paypal and our banks, India's digital money strategy is a non-starter. In the name of KYC, they move further away from the client, knowing lesser!!

Chandra loves tapioca, Big basket customer service

Chandra still loves tapioca... one of the things that still connects him to his roots, Kerala.........ah!


His wife ordered from bigbasket when it was shown available, that too 'Fresho' brand. 

When delivered & checked, it was not of good quality. 

Quality tapioca is always a gamble. 

Chandra immediately called BigBasket call center, and informed, Fresho tapioca was not good, yet again. Asked call center executive to send back the delivery boy, who was at the apartment gate. 

The executive politely said the delivery boy cannot be sent back to pick up the stuff. Instead, the executive accepted the complaint, asked to dispose off stuff, refund being arranged (SMS received) and will take care in future! That was cool!

The prompt acceptance of the customer version, no lack of trust or inquiry. Just simple acceptance almost made Chandra feel guilty. The bigger challenge for Chandra was to dispose off :( 

It was almost like Zappos.com like customer service, Tony Hsieh fame!

Pesticide-free, organic store: Why this makes it interesting? Chandra had a different experience with another fruit-vegetable premium (not 'thela' types) store. 
Last Thursday he asked the store-head for a recommendation of best mangoes. He was pointed to cardboard boxes (thankfully no plastic) dasheri mangoes. One of the staff helped Chandra to select the best box! 
By Saturday, four mangoes had got rotten, almost indicating the use of chemicals! (And they sell non-chemical/organic stuff only, their USP! Only vegetarian). 
Chandra took the mangoes to the store on Saturday afternoon. The store head was not there, someone else was officiating! (delegation at corporate or these small stores, are never effective).  

Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown...

He asked for the bill. Chandra retorted, 'you expect me to save your bills?' (like we do for GST, Income tax purposes, he wanted to add, but did not!). The expression on his face was, 'I don't trust you'!.... 
he just messed up a 6-year-old relationship. 

Customer may not be always right. But it pays to trust the client. 

Gyan: 

Big Basket may not need SRK or Ratna Patakh, both superstars. They need policies, customer orientation, and empowered, committed employees. Bliss for customer, success for the brands. 

Karma of Customer Service - Lessons from Ola Drivers

I booked last evening for an Ola-ride for this morning, for a 9 AM pick up. I was a bit tensed as I did not want to be late for the event this morning in the city.

CRN1713687180

Anand kumar

The car allotment confirmation came at 850 AM, but the vehicle was a bit away. It was 915 AM by the time he arrived. I stepped out waiting for the cab to arrive... 
And the cab arrived, clean, a very polite and courteous driver and with the air conditioner on... Often cabs arrive with their aircons not switched on, and I find many drivers prefer it that way, perhaps to save diesel. Unless it is unbearably hot and/or dusty, I am reluctant to add to my carbon footprint too... would rather suffer....

This morning was different. 

CRN1716112615 :

A S NAVEEN KUMAR

It was a long day... but a good day. I booked for the return 'journey' home (Bangalore to Whitefield is a journey). While it showed 7 minutes wait, after booking it became over 20 minutes. (Ola can fix this)

It was peak evening. I chose to wait patiently. He came in. Again, very courteous, polite and exceptional driving. No wonder his rating was 5/5. 

I am delighted to note two wonderful experiences today, 5/5 on both occasions. Ola should have a 5+ for such exceptional ride experience. 

How do we ensure such great service at the customer touch points, by all our customer-facing representatives, at all levels? 

Six pack abs : When a coach was ‘coached’

Short, dark and handsome… has some resemblance, somewhere, to the great Charlie Chaplin or Kamal Haasan? Was his moustache or his height or his mannerisms…? He was definitely muscular:

• “Why don’t you learn this. It is good for health”.

• Then he pointed at my sign of prosperity and indicated ‘not acceptable’ in a subtle way!

• Then he said, ‘You will be muscular like me’, pointing to his own six-pack ab.

He had just climbed two coconut trees, dropped few coconuts and was in the process of removing the husk.

The Master had manifested even before the student was ready! While fitness and wellness was always part of my ToDo list, not a six-pack ab.

On the budget day, India’s Finance Minister was presenting the country’s annual budget, around same time. It included a new proposal for Medicare for the poor. This man had a better solution for fitness : six-pack ab, nothing less!

For more than 30 minutes, he has been climbing coconut trees, pulling down coconuts, both tender and not-so-tender. He would climb without any support, machine or old-fashioned coir, just a big knife. He climbed like a proficient artist. He was a master at it. He showed me how rough his forehand was. He has been at it for a long time.

He would have seen my silent admiration for the way he went about his work, as I went around collecting coconuts & checking damage to the newly painted compound wall. He was unaware of the xbanker in me looking at these facts!

He was all ‘left brain’ 🧠 while dropping the coconuts from the heights, but artistic while peeling them. That is when he expressed my waist-line was not up to his expectations. He was mindful of not only the health of coconuts and coconut trees 🌴 , but also the consumers.

I asked him if he had an insurance policy l. He proudly said, ‘yes, for my daughter…’ (life insurance). I meant medical insurance, I clarified. ‘No’, he said.

When would he receive the benefit of the budget proposals, or will the BFSI once again mount a cross-sell for their own benefit, not for the most needy? He had fallen from a coconut tree sometime back and was on bed. He had to bear the expenses himself.

I walked away with more questions to ponder… climbing a coconut tree was surely not one of them, nor removing the husk, anytime soon!

Act now to stem the rise of disorder :ET Edits

Must read, act. 

https://blogs.economictimes.indiatimes.com/et-editorials/act-now-to-stem-the-rise-of-disorder/

Our generation will be judged by the holistic leadership we demonstrate at all levels and manage the chaos. 

We owe it to the country, state, world, ourselves and our future generations. Political leadership is one part of it. We all are leaders, just as we are all followers. 
Let us not allow this to slip further. 

'Act Like a Leader, Think Like a leader'

#Legacy #Leadership